So Long, It's A Blast, Kiddo!
by CWRT2900
Summary: "It's just you and me, babe." "Just like the good ole days."


_**This one-shot is for those who wish the show would go back to the heavy Danny/Steve bromance. Hate it or love it.  
**_

Danny arrived at Five-0 headquarters and for some reason this morning, he felt peculiarly happy. He didn't feel the urge to dish out comments or go into a rant about the pineapple-infested island as he usually did. He parked his Camaro just as Steve was stepping out of his Silverado.

"Hey Steve!" he hailed from afar, catching his partner's attention. He sprightly walked up to him with a bounce in his step.

"Danny! You seem to be in a good mood? What gives?"

"Look up," he pointed skywards to his partner. "It's cloudy. No scorching hot sun to burn us to a crisp. The forecast says it's gonna stay that way all day."

"And you trust the meteorologists to be accurate?" Steve quipped with an eyebrow raised in incredulity.

"Not really. It's just wishful thinking."

Steve shook his head. "You are one of a kind, partner."

"Not true! There are many of us out there but they won't voice their opinion out loud."

Steve laughed. "Maybe. Oh say did you know that Lou is transferring to Chicago PD?"

Danny was a bit stunned by the newsflash. "No, first I hear of it. He won't be short of crime sprees, that's for sure."

"He left me a text this morning. I'm actually going to miss him," Steve said wistfully.

"You should. You were two-timing me with him, babe."

Steve broke into a guffaw "What?"

"Well it was always Lou said this, Lou did this and that. I saw how you two were interacting and...well."

"Don't tell me you were jealous?" Steve teased.

"No."

"Danny, come on! Mind you he and I locked horns on many occasions but he was never a partner."

"Are you sure?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve asked on an offended tone. Danny slanted his head wanting to voice his grief but instead, he just held his tongue. "I hope you're joking here?"

"Maybe."

"Danny! You're my partner. That's never going to change, okay? Anyhow he's leaving so you don't have to worry about him 'taking me away from you'," he said amusedly while gesturing the quotes with his fingers.

Steve may have sneered at the situation but Danny sure didn't see it that way.

As the two men headed toward the entrance, Danny caught Rachel's voice calling out to him. He turned around and saw her waving at him by her car.

"What is she doing here?" He turned to Steve, puzzled. "I'll be right back."

Danny trotted over to his ex. "Rachel, what are you doing here?"

"I just dropped off Grace at school and I wanted to talk to you about tonight. Stan and I won't be able to pick her up, so I thought maybe you could and she would stay with you an extra day since tomorrow school's out."

"Yeah, sure, I'd like that. No problem. I'll pick her up."

"Oh and Danny, I have something that I need to show you."

"What is it?" He frowned at the seriousness of her tone. He watched her rummage through her purse to pull out a small picture. "This."

"Where did you get this?" He asked in complete shock.

"Stan took it last night. I didn't want him to but he insisted. I know it's not of our business but perhaps you'd like to talk to Steve about it. It could be nothing."

"Not from what I'm seeing. I think it'd be better if I discussed it with her first. Maybe there's a reasonable explanation, although I don't see how."

"Got to go now."

"Okay. Don't worry about Grace. I'll pick her up after school. And Rachel, you thank Stan for his quick thinking. We'll get to the bottom of this."

She smiled and got into her car. Danny quickly stowed the picture away in his breast pocket and returned to join Steve.

"Everything all right?"

"Yeah, she just asked me to pick up Grace after school. I'm having an extra day with her."

"Good for you! Why don't you both come over to the house tonight?"

"Don't you and Catherine have something planned?"

"No. She's going out with her Navy buddies again tonight. They are ashore for two more days and she wants to spend some time with them."

"I see. Okay then. We'll see you tonight."

"In the meantime, let's go to work."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Later that day Danny was a few feet away when he saw Steve and Catherine discussing the dinner date with her Navy buddies tonight. He could hear him trying to sweet-talk her into agreeing to let him join them on one of their outings.

"So you're saying I wouldn't love to have dinner with four lovely ladies?" Steve teased Catherine.

"It might not be your kind of conversation. You know, girl talk."

"Uh huh, by that you mean gossiping about your beaus."

"Steve, that's not what I meant!" She playfully slapped him on the arm.

"Okay, okay I get it. Anyway I have a date with a pretty lady tonight."

"Oh? Who is she?"

"Miss Grace Williams. She and Danny are coming over."

"Lucky you." She leaned in and stole a kiss before heading out the door. Danny caught up with her on the front steps.

"Catherine, wait up!"

"Danny. Something you wanted?"

"Yeah, let's walk to your car, shall we?"

Catherine was curious as to Danny's strange behavior. "Danny, something wrong?"

He waited until they were sitting in her car before addressing the issue. "I hear you have a date with some Navy buddies of yours?"

"That's right. I hadn't seen the girls for awhile. I had a good time last night and we decided to do it again tonight."

Danny pulled out the picture and showed it to her. "Seems you traded your gal pals for this guy here," he said snidely.

"Where did you get that picture?"

"Never mind how I got it. And don't tell me he's your brother. Sisters don't kiss their brothers like that."

Catherine leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes in defeat. "He's Lieutenant Alan Ferguson."

"I don't care what his name is. He's obviously someone you're very fond of." Silence was his only answer. "How long has this been going on?"

"About eight months," she replied timidly.

"Eight months?! And you haven't told Steve about it?"

"Danny, Steve and I never said we were exclusive. We have something but I'm sure he's dating other women as well."

"I beg your pardon my dear lady, Steve is a one-woman man. True he once mentioned that you had a thing but it certainly didn't look like it recently."

"Danny, understand that I need a commitment and Steve won't give it to me."

"Have you asked him?"

"I did and he keeps saying why ruin what we have now by taking the big step. He's afraid of committing to a steady relationship. We're just friends with benefits. Well I'm tired of it. Lieutenant Ferguson has asked me to marry him."

Danny's head jerked her way and with a deep scowl, he asked, "And?"

"I haven't given him my answer yet."

"Catherine, you have got to tell Steve. You can't go on playing behind his back like this."

"I love Steve and I kept hoping that we could make it work."

"Then confront him with it."

"He doesn't take too kindly to ultimatums."

"Or so you're just going to keep up the charade? Catherine you either tell him or I will. I don't want him being played for a fool."

"With all due respect Danny, this doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't! Look I'd rather you do it. It might be easier coming from you than from me."

"Okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow night,"she conceded.

"No tonight! You tell him tonight!" Danny urged angrily. "I'll make up an excuse why Grace and me can't come tonight. You break off your date with your Lieutenant Ferguson. Then you'll decide whether you want to stay with Steve or go with the other guy. Either way he needs to know."

"All right Danny. I will."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Steve was sad to hear that Grace wasn't feeling well and that Danny had to decline his invitation to have dinner with him. But conversely Catherine having cancelled her own date with her girl friends evened out the disappointment.

At some point after the romantic dinner they shared, Catherine broached the delicate subject.

"You cheated on me for eight months!" Steve roared.

"For God's sake, Steve! We were never exclusive and you knew it! We had fun whenever I'd come ashore and I'm not saying I disliked it, on the contrary. I loved being with you."

"Catherine, we've been together more often these past months. How can you say we were just having fun? I was serious in this relationship."

"Were you?" she countered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he lashed out, offended.

"Do you love me?"

"That's a stupid question. Of course I love you."

"You know what I mean? Are you IN love with me?" Steve's hesitation spoke volume. "That's what I thought. I can't go on like this anymore, Steve. I told you before I need a commitment. I want stability."

"I'm sorry. I'm just...I'm just not husband material."

"You don't even want to give it a try but you don't think I'm worth it." Again Steve looked away with a heavy heart. Catherine was right. He may have loved her dearly but the 'IN love' part was just beyond his reach.

"I'll pack up my things and I'll be out of here tonight."

She walked past him and stopped to cast a glance at him, which he didn't bother acknowledging.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H50~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

The next morning, Danny found Steve sitting on the Palace steps looking down in the mouth.

"Steve, you all right?"

"She's gone, Danny."

"You mean Catherine?"

"Yeah. She left last night. She told me about this guy she'd been seeing. She asked for a firm commitment on my part. I couldn't give it to her."

"Why?"

"She said something that made sense, that I may have loved her but that I wasn't in love with her and she's right. She and me, it was never about love as it was about...well you know."

"A thing?"

"Yeah. I mean she's a great girl and all but I didn't see myself married to her."

Danny sat beside his partner and put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, babe. Really, I am."

"Thanks Danny."

"You gonna be okay?"

Steve drew in a deep breath and perked up. A smile found its way to his lips. "Yeah. Actually I am. I never thought I would but, yeah, I'm good. Relieved actually, in more ways than one."

"How so?"

"Clearly I made a mistake by bringing her at Five-0. It just wasn't the same with her there. I thought that would bring us closer but instead it made us drift apart and I just don't mean her and me."

"So Grover's gone and Catherine's gone and Amber's out of the picture too." Steve stared at Danny in surprise. "Yeah, that's right. Me and her, just wasn't in the cards. It's just you and me, babe," Danny rejoiced as he gave Steve a friendly tap on the back.

"Just like the good ole days!"

"Amen to that!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_


End file.
